The visiting delegation of Qataris, who were travelling in the Somali interior minister's bullet-proof vehicle, were "safe", a security officer said, without going into further detail. The minister was not in the car at the time.

No one immediately grabbed credit for the blast but it bore the hallmarks of Al Qaeda-linked rebels who have kept up a campaign of guerrilla-style attacks since the army and peacekeepers pushed them out of bases in the city.

[An Nahar] An Æthiopian peacekeeper was killed and two maimed in an ambush on a convoy in which a top tribal leader was killed in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan, the United Nations...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... said late Saturday.

U.N. leader the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan... said he "strongly condemns" the killings, but called for efforts to prevent an escalation between the rival countries.

A U.N. peacekeeping convoy was stopped and attacked by Arab Miseriya rustics in Abyei on Saturday, U.N. officials said. Kual Deng Majok, paramount leader of the rival Ngok Dinka tribe, was in the convoy and was killed.

Ban said in a statement that two peacekeepers from the U.N. Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) were seriously maimed.

UNISFA is made up of Æthiopian peacekeepers and was created in a bid to halt tensions between Sudan and South Sudan, who have disputed Abyei ever since they split in July 2011. The Miseriya are close to Sudan while the Ngok Dinka are allied to South Sudan.

"The secretary general strongly condemns the killing of the Ngok Dinka paramount chief" and the UNISFA peacekeeper "in an attack by a Misseriya assailant on a UNISFA convoy," said a statement released by the U.N.

He expressed "deepest condolences" to the Ngok Dinka tribe and the Æthiopian government.

Ban "urges the governments of Sudan and South Sudan and the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities to remain calm and avoid any escalation of this unfortunate event," the statement added.

He added that it was "crucially important" to set up joint government and policing arrangements as Sudan and South Sudan agreed in 2011.

One man was wounded in a firefight between the security detail of Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Qandil and alleged thugs Sunday but the security service said the incident was not political in nature.

Do they not know how ineffectual and useless the man is?

Bodyguards opened fire at a car carrying five people that had cut into the official convoy as it crossed the capital's October 6 bridge across the Nile. The fire was returned from the car before the driver and the passengers were arrested.

A security official said the suspects claimed they had been unaware of Qandil's presence in the motorcade and had not shot at his car.

The injured man was an unsuspecting motorist.

Egyptian media reported in February that protesters threw stones and bottles at the prime minister's motorcade as he tried to enter Cairo's Tahrir Square after overnight clashes nearby and at the presidential palace. His office said in a statement later, without elaborating, that he had been "confronted by youths and troublemakers".

[An Nahar] Two Islamists accused of killing 500 people during Algeria's civil war, including the rape and murder of 60 women, were sentenced to death on Sunday, Agence La Belle France Press reported.

The judge sentenced Djilali Kouri, 32, and Antar Ali, 35, to death for "founding and running a terrorist group that killed and spread terror among the population and that murdered hundreds of civilians and soldiers" between 1996 and 2004.

Kouri and Ali admitted having killed members of the security forces in the civil war, but denied raping and killing civilians.

"Kouri has already been sentenced to death for some of the charges against him, but sought acquittal on the other counts," said Brahim Behloul, the court-appointed lawyer for both accused.

"Antar Ali asked to be considered under the Civil Concord law," said Behloul, referring to a law adopted by referendum in 1999 to encourage thousands of Islamists to surrender in exchange for a pardon.

The law offers amnesty to Islamist fighters who do not have blood on their hands.

"I did not commit massacres, I was fighting the authorities. I'm not a terrorist, I am myself a victim," he told the court.

Ali and Kouri told Sherlocks they were part of a group of Islamist fighters in the Chlef region during the civil war, and took part in operations in other areas.

The Algerian press has reported that the pair confessed to killing soldiers and members of auxiliary units in northern Algeria, as well as taking part in the rape and murder of scores of women.

While they admitted in court killing members of the security forces, they denied involvement in the rape and murder of civilians.

"I admit having participated in the killing of five soldiers and five municipal guards, but I did not massacre civilians and rape women," Kouri told the court.

Ali also said that he had "taken part in ambushes against the military," but denied playing a role in the massacre of civilians.

"I did not commit massacres, I was fighting the authorities. I'm not a terrorist, I am myself a victim," he told the court.

As the verdict was read out, a mother of one of the victims stood up and shouted "Long live Algeria! Long live justice!"

While Algerian courts still hand down the death penalty, it is no longer applied under a moratorium adopted in 1993.

Originally the trial had been set for April 1, but Antar Ali rejected the court-appointed lawyer to defend him, causing a postponement.

The civil war, which broke out after the government annulled an election won by the Islamic Salvation Front, killed around 200,000 people according to official estimates.

[An Nahar] Libya's General National Congress, under pressure from militiamen, on Sunday voted through a controversial law to exclude former regime officials from government posts, a move that could see the premier removed from office.

Gunmen who had surrounded the foreign and justice ministries to press for officials from the strongman Muammar Qadaffy...who single-handedly turned a moderately prosperous kingdom into a dictator's fantasyland and was then murdered by his indignant subjects 42 years later...'s regime who hold top government jobs to be sacked welcomed the vote and lifted their siege.

State television broadcast live coverage showing 164 politicians in the 200-member GNC vote in favor of the law with just four deputies present voting against.

Under the law, all those who held key official posts from September 1, 1969 when Qadaffy took power, until the fall of his regime in October 2011 will be excluded from government, but it was not immediately clear for how long.

An earlier draft bill seen by Agence La Belle France Presse said the ban would last five years, but later GNC sources said it could be up to 10 years before it is lifted.

The proposal for the law caused a stir among Libya's political elite, as senior members of the government could be affected, including Prime Minister Ali Zeidan and GNC president Mohamed Megaryef.

Both were diplomats under Qadaffy before joining the opposition in exile.

Fifteen politicians also risk loosing their jobs once the GNC's legal commission ratifies the law, including the vice president of the national assembly Jomaa Atiga, an official said.

"It is too early to speak of excluding Mr. Megaryef. The situation will be clearer in a week or 10 days," a source close to the GNC president told AFP.

He suggested there could be some "amendments" to the law.

Megaryef, who was ambassador to India in the 1980s, was not present for the vote and sent the GNC a letter saying he would stay away to avoid "embarrassing" the politicians as they cast their ballots.

A special commission will now be set up to implement the new law which also affects former government ministers, ambassadors, security officers as well as state media officials, public university professors and union leaders.

The gunnies, many former rebels who helped topple Qadaffy, had encircled the foreign ministry for a week and the justice ministry since Tuesday to pressure the national assembly to pass the law.

They vowed to stand their ground and expand their action unless their demands were satisfied, and warned against any GNC attempt to make exceptions to allow key individuals to keep their jobs.

Vice president Salah al-Makhzum said last week that a compromise had been reached among the political blocs by adding "exceptions" in the bill in order to retain key individuals.

Before Sunday's vote the GNC, Libya's national assembly and top political body, had debated the law several times without reaching an agreement.

The bill proved particularly controversial with the National Forces Alliance, the liberal coalition that dominated elections in July, who feared it was aimed at their leader Mahmoud Jibril who headed an economic council under Qadaffy.

Human Rights Watch... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world... had warned the GNC against a hasty vote.

"The GNC should not allow itself to be railroaded into making very bad laws because groups of gunnies are demanding it," Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at HRW, said in a statement on Saturday.

"Libya's long-term prospects for peace and security will be seriously diminished if the congress agrees to nod through this law."

A police commander in Tanzania says four Saudi Arabian citizens have been arrested following a bomb attack on a Catholic church.

Magesa Mulogo said Monday that the four Saudi nationals were among six people arrested.

Mulongo said two people died in Sunday's bombing of a newly opened church in the northern city of Arusha. Nearly four dozen people were wounded in the blast just before the church's inaugural Mass, which was attended by the pope's envoy to Tanzania.

Mulogo said eyewitnesses reported that the bomb was thrown from a motorcycle into the church. Mulogo said the driver of the motorcycle is among those arrested.

[Al Ahram] Hundreds of thousands of hardline Islamists demanding a new blasphemy law on Sunday blocked highways and fought running battles with police, leaving four people dead and hundreds injured in the Bangladeshi capital.

Chanting "Allahu Akbar!" ("God is greatest!") and "One point, One demand: Atheists must be hanged", activists from Hefajat-e-Islam marched along at least six highways, blocking transport between Dhaka and other cities and towns.

Police officials told AFP that about 200,000 people had marched to central Dhaka, where fierce festivities erupted between thousands of rock-throwing protesters and security officials, with police beating back demonstrators with batons.

Witnesses said rioting broke out after police tried to intercept stick-wielding protesters, most travelling from remote villages, in front of the country's largest mosque. Trouble then spread to central districts of Dhaka.

"This government does not have faith in Allah. This is an atheist government, we will not allow them to live in Bangladesh. Mohammedans are brothers, we must protect Islam," one protester, filmed by AFP, was seen chanting.

Police fired rubber bullets from armoured vehicles at protesters, who went on the rampage, torching a police office, scores of vehicles and shops, attacking government offices and beating coppers.

Dozens of small bombs went kaboom!, leaving smoke hanging in the air around the mosque.

One policeman suffered serious head injuries after he was beaten by protesters, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene.

Of the dead at least three were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, police inspector Mozammel Haq told AFP, adding almost 100 more had been injured.

M. Adnan, an emergency doctor at the private Islami Bank Hospital, told AFP one protester died and nearly 300 protesters were treated in its two branches.

A senior police officer who declined to be named told AFP between "150,000 and 200,000 demonstrators" marched to Motijheel, Dhaka's main commercial district, where they continued to rally until 10:00 pm (1600GMT).

[BETA.DAWN] At least four people were killed when hard boyz attacked the convoy of independent candidate Sardar Sarfaraz Domki in Sibi area of Balochistan...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... on Sunday evening, police said.

Police said independent candidate for PB-21 Sardar Sarfaraz Domki and Dostain Domki candidate for NA265 were on a campaign rally in Karak area of Sibi when their convoy came under attack.

Police said one of the assailants was killed and another was injured.

However,some people cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go... three security guards of Domki were killed. Police said the injured were shifted to civil hospital Sibi for medical treatment.

In another incident, hard boyz hurled a hand grenade at the office of Jamaatul Ulema-e-Islam (Ideological) in Deba area of Quetta.

Police said two people were maimed in the attack, the assailants however managed to escape.

[BETA.DAWN] At least two Frontier Corps (FC) personnel and 13 dacoits were killed on Sunday during an exchange of fire in the Bhag area of Balochistan...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...'s Bolan district, FC sources said.

According to FC sources, security personnel conducted a raid to arrest a wanted dacoit Gul Bahar in the Bhag area, adding that two of its personnel were killed when the raiding team came under fire as soon as they entered the area to arrest the suspects.

Security forces resorted to retaliatory action which was followed by a lengthy gun-battle.

Gul Bahar was also killed in the five-hour long battle between cut-throats and security forces.

Huge quantity of arms and ammunition was also recovered during the raid. FC sources said the gang was involved in different acts of kidnappings and robberies.

Security forces also placed in durance vileI ain't sayin' nuttin' widdout me mout'piece! several members of the gang who were shifted to some holy man's guesthouse an undisclosed location for further investigations.

[Dawn] At least seven people were injured when militants attacked the offices of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and National Party in Balochistan on Sunday, police said.Police official Imran Baloch, told Dawn.com militants lobbed a hand grenade in the office of PML-N leader General (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch in Kharan town of Balochistan.Baloch said five PML-N workers were injured in the attack. The blast also damaged the electoral office of PML-N.

Militants also targeted the electoral office of National Party Mach town of Balochistan. Police said militants hurled a hand grenade at the NP office.They confirmed that three workers were injured in the attack. The attackers in both incidents managed to escape.

[BETA.DAWN] Security forces captured two bad boy strongholds in Kismet Sur and Sunghar areas of Tirah valley in Khyber tribal region after successful operations were conducted in the areas , according to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) sources.

At least 16 faceless myrmidons were killed during the operation moreover scores of other faceless myrmidons fled from the area leaving behind a huge cache of arms and ammunition, which was recovered by security forces.

Two security personnel were killed and three others were maimed during the operation.

Moreover two security personnel of the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) were killed and three others were maimed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast while the unit was clearing the Esha Razmak Road, officials confirmed.

The military officials confirmed that the bomb disposal party was busy clearing the Esha-Razmak route for troops' movement when it was hit by an IED, resulting in the death of two soldiers.

The officials also confirmed that three soldiers were would in the blast who were shifted to a nearby hospital.

A search operation continued in the area.

In another incident in Orakzai Agency... crawling with holy men, home to Darra Adam Khel, the world's largest illegal arms bazaar. 14 distinct tribes of beturbanned primitives inhabit Orakzai agency's 1500 or so square kilometers...'s Mamozai area, at least six suspected faceless myrmidons were killed and five others were maimed during festivities between security forces and bad boys.

Security sources told Dawn.com that two security personnel were also injured during the skirmish.

[Dawn] At least three persons were maimed in a hand-grenade attack on Sunday near an election office of the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) in Fazalabad area of Takht Bhai tehsil near Mardan.

Rescue and officials reached the site of attack.

Police sources told Dawn.com that unknown cycle of violence-riding attackers lobbed a hand-grenade near the election office of the PTI where the party's candidate from NA-10, Rehmanullah, was holding a corner meeting and that the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

[BETA.DAWN] A complete shutdown was observed in Bloody Karachi...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... and other cities of Sindh on Sunday (today) following a call to observe a 'day of mourning' by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead... (MQM) over twin kabooms outside their election office in Azizabad on Saturday which killed three people and injured 40 others, DawnNews reported.

A bomb planted near a park where the MQM had set up its election office for its unit in Karachi's Azizabad (Federal B. Area Block 8) went off around 9pm on Saturday.

The blast caused panic and fear in the densely populated and highly guarded neighbourhood as a number of MQM activists, volunteers, personnel of law enforcement agencies and media crew rushed to the place.

About 20 minutes later, another kaboom took place at almost the same place which was crowded by the party's activists, volunteers and security personnel. Police said apparently the MQM election office was the target.

"Both bombs were detonated either by remote control or a timer device," Karachi Central SSP Amir Farooqi said."The first attack appears to have been a trap to draw people to the place before the second kaboom. Tight security and surveillance prevented any major damage."

Meanwhile,...back at the revival hall, Buford bit the snake and Eloise began speaking in tongues... the Pak Taliban have grabbed credit of the attack. Speaking to Dawn.com via telephone from some holy man's guesthouse an undisclosed location, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) front man Ehsanullah Ehsan said the target was MQM and both bombings were carried out through planted devices.

The MQM, however, has vowed to not bow down to the terrorists. Speaking to DawnNews, the party's leader, Haider Abbas Rizvi said that MQM has been targeted by forces which do not wish to see it coming into power. "We will continue with our election campaign and no one can deter us from our fundamental right of partaking in polls," he said.

"It's sheer brutality," MQM chief Altaf Hussain said. "Our morale is high and we will not surrender to the evil forces of extremism and terror. It's so unfortunate that despite consistent attacks, no credible move has been witnessed against cut-throats from the government, administration and security forces."

The outlawed TTP has vowed to target the secular political parties of the country, naming Pakistain People's Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP) and MQM in the run up to the coming general elections.

[Dawn] Suspected cut-throats blew up Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... election office and three shops at two different places in the suburbs of the provincial metropolis on Saturday.

According to an official of Mathra cop shoppe, an improvised bomb was planted near the PTI election office located at Pejagi Road, which went off early in the morning.

The official said that usually police pass through the area in the morning, but this morning police changed the routine and escaped the attack. He said that it seemed that terrorists' target was the PTI election office. The election office was shut and there was no one there at the time of the blast.

"The blast took place at about 6:00am and that is why the people remained safe," the official said and added that about two kilogramme of explosives packed in a canister had been used in the blast.

Also, three shops were blown up at Zwera Bazaar near Sherikera. A source in the area said that two huge blasts took place at about 1:30am on Saturday, but the people could not move towards the blast sites due to fear of attack by gunnies. "We visited the bazaar in the morning and saw that three shops were completely destroyed and some others partially damaged," the source said. He said that the area was located very close to the Frontier Region Beautiful Downtown Peshawar...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. where police's role was next to nil. He said that people knew about those involved in such sabotage acts because they frequently threatened them through telephone calls, but none of them could dare to open mouth against the terrorists.

In Kalaya, a motorcade of brother of Jamaat-e-Islami...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... candidate Raj Mohammad was attacked with a remote-controlled bomb at Uthmankhel area.

The motorcade was going to Ferozkhel from Ondkhel Chon Jana for election campaign when the roadside kaboomwent kaboom! at Otmankhel. As a result, several vehicles were partially damaged. However,ars longa, vita brevis... no casualty was reported.

The Orakzai Levies and security personnel reached the site of occurrence soon after the attack and started search operation.

Meanwhile,...back at the dirigible, Cynthia backed into the galley, the barbecue fork held in front of her. Jack! she called. Where the hell are you?... 12 more cut-throats were killed as jet fighters again pounded their hideouts in Upper Orakzai Agency... crawling with holy men, home to Darra Adam Khel, the world's largest illegal arms bazaar. 14 distinct tribes of beturbanned primitives inhabit Orakzai agency's 1500 or so square kilometers... on Saturday.

The jets targeted beturbanned goon positions with bombing at Shin Qamar and Asmat Garhi areas in their stronghold of Dabori. The security forces claimed that five hideouts were destroyed and 12 cut-throats were killed and seven injured. The security forces also claimed that 92 per cent tribal area had been cleared of beturbanned goons.

[Dawn] The simmering tension between supposed political rivals in the Landhi area took an ugly turn on Saturday when a man was rubbed out and four other persons were maimed, police and party sources said.

Clashes between the two rival groups started on Friday when the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-H) chief tried to launch an electoral campaign there and continued into the second day, causing suspension of commercial activities in certain parts of Landhi.

It prompted the law-enforcement agencies to start a 'search operation' there to calm the situation.

"Yes, there was tension in the locality but murder and injuries took place in localities different from the ones where the festivities occurred," said SSP-East Imran Shaukat.

He said the most disturbed areas of Landhi were 80 and 81, where firing was resorted to by the groups but the killing took place in the 5-C area of Landhi, which was far away from the place of violence. However,there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly... he said four persons sustained bullet wounds in different areas.

"The police moved into the area to carry out a search operation in which 'several persons' were placed in durance vileYez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! for interrogation," said the SSP. He said he believed that the situation was controlled after the operation.

The Landhi police said that nine persons were detained and TT pistols were seized from them.

Landhi-DSP Muhammad Ahmed Beg told Dawn that the two political rivals, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead... and the MQM-H, started firing in the area, increasing fear among the residents.

He said he believed that one person was killed and another maimed in 'crossfire'.

The maimed were rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where Fahim, 35, son of Muhammad Shafiq, died while Faisal Mehmood was admitted for treatment.

The DSP claimed that the victims were passersby.

However,a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth... MQM-H spokesperson Khalid Hameed said that Fahim was a member of their party's Korangi sector committee. He accused the police of playing a partisan role in Landhi.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement candidate from NA-255 Asif Hasnain alleged that the Rangers were not providing equal opportunities to every candidate to run their election campaigns. "On the pretext of providing security to Afaq Ahmed, the Rangers and police are backing beturbanned goons who had attacked, ransacked and torched my election office yesterday and today. They are harassing our voters by their so-called house-to-house search operations. It is their responsibility to restore peace but they are allowing beturbanned goons to cause a breakdown of law and order. I have informed the returning officer of every detail. We are not being allowed to run our election campaign."

MQM man rubbed out
A Muttahida Qaumi Movement worker was bumped off in Korangi, police said.

They said Wali Muhammad aka Bhola, 32, son of Nabi Bakhsh, was standing in front of his home in Sector 32/2 when gunnies opened fire on him. He received a single bullet on the head and was taken to the JPMC, where doctors pronounced him deadHe's dead, Jim!.

Two Philippine soldiers were wounded in an attack staged by communist rebels yesterday in Mindanao.

Troops from the 57th Infantry Battalion were conducting a patrol in North Cotabato province when a landmine planted by the New People's Army (NPA) exploded at Two soldiers were injured in an attack staged by leftist rebels yesterday in restive Mindanao, an army officer said today.

Nasrullah Sema, chief of the civil military operations of the 57th Infantry Battalion, said that troops from the 57th Infantry Battalion were conducting a patrol in North Cotabato province when a landmine planted by the New People's Army (NPA) exploded at 1:15 p.m. The explosion hit the military truck and wounded two soldiers.

Two soldiers were killed and three others wounded in an ambush by terrorists militants in Narathiwat's Rueso district on Sunday morning.

It happened at 11:20 a.m. on a village road as infantry soldiers were traveling in a patrol vehicle. Terrorists militants hiding on the side of the road detonated the bomb and opened fire. An exchange of gunfire followed. Two soldiers were killed, and three other soldiers were injured.

The heightened tensions come amid questions over possible chemical weapon use in Syria and international debate over how to respond to the country's bloody civil war, in which more than 70,000 people have died in more than two years of fighting.

On Monday, a U.N. official spoke of strong suspicions that rebels, not Syrian government forces, have used chemical weapons.

[An Nahar] Syrian rebels have taken control of large parts of the Minnigh military airport in northern Syria, where a regime commander was killed on Saturday, a watchdog group said on Sunday.

"General Ali Mahmoud was killed on Saturday with two of his bodyguards, and the rebels have taken control of a large part of the airport but fighting is continuing," Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told Agence La Belle France Presse.

Since the beginning of this year, rebel fighters have been trying to seize a string of northern airports, including Aleppo international airport, and the Jarrah, Kwiyres, Minnigh and Nayrab military fields.

They took Jarrah military airport on February 12.

Elsewhere, the Observatory reported regime air raids on the Jubar neighborhood of the capital Damascus...Capital of the last remaining Baathist regime in the world... and against the rebel-held town of Raqa.

There were also sporadic air raids targeting orchards south of Banias, where the bodies of 62 people were found on Saturday after an assault by government forces.

The opposition has said the growing number of reported killings in Syria raises the specter of a campaign of "ethnic cleansing".

In southern Daraa province, meanwhile, the Observatory reported festivities between rebels and Syrian troops trying to reopen a highway.

In central Homs, along the Lebanese border, fighting continued between regime forces and rebels as the army tries to gain control of the key town of Qusayr.

Violence throughout Syria on Sunday left at least 35 people dead, according to an initial toll from the Observatory.

It said at least 148 people were killed on Saturday -- 40 civilians, 74 rebels and 34 soldiers.

A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.

Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.

Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.